Twitter has become the new soapbox of diplomats. It’s even given rise to a new lexicon — Twiplomats practicing Twiplomacy. Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo The federal foreign affairs department posted the reaction of its minister, Stéphane Dion, who warned that North Korea’s conduct poses a “grave” risk to security. OTTAWA—When North

Twitter has become the new soapbox of diplomats. It’s even given rise to a new lexicon — Twiplomats practicing Twiplomacy.

Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo

The federal foreign affairs department posted the reaction of its minister, Stéphane Dion, who warned that North Korea’s conduct poses a “grave” risk to security.

OTTAWA—When North Korea detonated its big bomb this week, foreign ministers around the globe took to Twitter to voice their condemnation.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond branded the detonation a “provocation . . . which I condemn without reservation.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry denounced the test, which remains unconfirmed as a hydrogen bomb. “The United States and nations around the world unequivocally condemn North Korea’s latest nuclear test,” Kerry tweeted.

And Canada’s foreign affairs department posted the reaction of its minister, Stéphane Dion, who warned that North Korea’s conduct poses a “grave” risk to security.

All that activity this week drove home a trend that has emerged in recent years — the rise of digital diplomacy.

Twitter has become the new soapbox of diplomats. It’s even given rise to a new lexicon — twiplomats practicing twiplomacy.

Indeed, the website Twiplomacy writes that Twitter has become the “channel of choice for digital diplomacy between world leaders, governments, foreign ministries and diplomats.”

Its 2015 study found that more than two-thirds of all heads of state and government have personal Twitter accounts.

“Foreign ministries around the world have embraced Twitter with a vengeance and social media is the new medium for what you would call quick time responsive reaction,” Fen Hampson, director of the global security and politics at Waterloo’s Centre for International Governance Innovation, said in an interview.

In an era of the 24-hour news cycle, tweets are a quick way for a politician to get their views into the daily discourse, 140 characters of condemnation, praise or caution.

Diplomacy is often the art of the understatement, careful words to send a country’s message, often delivered quietly to a foreign envoy behind closed doors.

Today though, that initial message or response to a breaking crisis is just as likely to be delivered via social media. Digital diplomacy is quick, to the point and noticed, sometimes by millions. Kerry, for example, has just over one million followers on Twitter.

“The public doesn’t read communiqués anymore,” said Hampson, who is also a professor at Ottawa’s Carleton University.

Former foreign affairs minister John Baird was an enthusiastic user of Twitter and encouraged the department and its diplomats to have a more active presence on social media.

Rick Roth, Baird’s long-time director of communications, said the department saw social media as a way to communicate “more quickly and to communicate more directly with people.”

News releases, the traditional way of putting out a message, can take time to get through the necessary approvals and they rely on the media to distribute them.

“We used social media to get our message out cleanly, in digestible little bites that the public could consume,” Roth said in an interview Thursday.

“If a bombing in the Middle East happens, we were able to convey condolences and condemn the cowardice of the attack within 140 to 280 characters,” he said.

Global Affairs Canada — the country’s foreign affairs, trade and development department — uses a number of Twitter accounts to promote its trade and development activities, foreign policy as well as distribute traveller advisories.

Social media discourse invites critics and Dion’s message to North Korea sparked a few criticisms.

“Right up there with being condemned by Mrs. Smithers grade 5 language arts class. None too intimidating,” said one Twitter user.

“Kim Jong Un: ‘Canada? What is a Canada?’” said another.

The era of rapid-fire communication also carries risks. A Palestinian envoy in Ottawa was forced from her post and had to apologize in 2011 after retweeting a link to a video viewed as anti-Jewish.

The website Twiplomacy cites the emergence of “hashtag diplomacy” to bring attention to specific issues, such as #BringBackOurGirls to highlight the plight of more than 250 Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. And yes, #DigitalDiplomacy is a hashtag, too.

But don’t mistake social media statements for real action, cautions Hampson, especially with a country like North Korea. Having endured tough economic sanctions, a tweet won’t change the country’s direction.

“Twitter is no substitution for effective, concerted action. Condemnation is easy. Figuring out what you’re actually going with an intractable problem like this is a lot harder,” Hampson said.

A Princeton PhD, was a U.S. diplomat for over 20 years, mostly in Central/Eastern Europe, and was promoted to the Senior Foreign Service in 1997. After leaving the State Department to express opposition to the planned invasion of Iraq, he was privileged to have give-and-take conversations (officially called “courses”) with Georgetown University students pertaining to

tass.com image (not from article) from According to the head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Alexander Bugayev, they were interrupted due to some reasons PYONGYANG, November 18. /TASS/. Russia and North Korea are considering plans of stepping up cooperation to organize youth exchange programs, Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Alexander […]

Joseph Varghese, gulf-times.com *The organisation’s 5th General Assembly gathers its members at Katara to discuss various topics and future projectsMembers of the Global Public Diplomacy [JB emphasis] Network (GPDNet) have unanimously elected Qatar as the next president of the organisation during the start of its fifth General Assembly at Katara – the Cultural Village on […]

Description The Encyclopedia of Diplomacy is a complete and authoritative 4-volume compendium of the most important events, people and terms associated with diplomacy and international relations from ancient times to the present, from a global perspective. An invaluable resource for anyone interested in diplomacy, its history and the relations between states Includes newer areas

ISIS accounts suspended after sharing video of James Foley’s beheading YouTube and Twitter vowed to close accounts if video was circulated further ISIS is targetting other social network sites to ensure message is spread Has set up account on VKontakte, second largest social network in Europe It also plans to infiltrate other video-sharing websites, apart

What does it take to be a successful diplomat? How has the profession changed and what shape will diplomacy take in the future? Jorge Heine, CIGI Distinguished Fellow and Chair of Global Governance visits Inside the Issues to discuss the new book, “The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy” and to share insights on the practice

The thesis of a 2015 Expo is food. The U.S. needs a culinary tact devise that is both thorough and exclusive. Next year will move Expo 2015, that is set to take place in Milan, Italy with a thesis “Feeding a Planet, Energy for Life.” It is an vicious and timely subject around that to

When politicians attempt to communicate their views in the public forum, the practice can be seen as a perquisite of the democratic process. This can prove to be an ideal environment for public relations, as the industry can identify and clarify arguments made among parties competing for information (White, L’Etang, & Moss, 2009, pp. 397-398).

About BIDD

Belgrade Initiative for Public and Digital Diplomacy leads, researches and implements the best examples of public and digital diplomacy that exist in SEE region and globally.
BIDD network is supporting online activism in region and mapping out the inter-cultural values and vivid digital inter-discussion. Digital as the medium that is bridging public opinion with foreign policy, guide colleagues in digital diplomacy of the neighboring countries through regional perspective without fragments.
BIDD gathers different generations of university researchers, industry specialists, public policy officials and experienced diplomats who got educated and worked in Serbia, Germany, The United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, PR of China, Middle East, USA, Brazil and s.o.
BIDD network grows daily and its actively seeks partnerships.